News On French Fries and Potato Specialties from the Americas

The Food and Drug Administration has completed its food and feed safety assessment of the J.R. Simplot Company’s second generation of Innate® potatoes. Simplot will still need to complete its registration with the Environmental Protection Agency for these potatoes before introducing them for sale in the U.S. marketplace.

The Swiss Food Processing Equipment Company Hoegger is showing its latest implementation of their (potato) separating technology at the Potato Expo 2016 in Las Vegas

Local and Federal Government (Manitoba, Canada) have announced an investment of nearly $380,000 for the McCain Foods potato processing plant in Carberry to increase efficiency, reduce waste and support the sustainable growth of Manitoba’s potato industry. The governments’ investment represents half of the total equipment cost.

The potato specialties factory of Serya Alimentos in Araxá, Brazil started operations in May 2015 and promises to shake up the South American frozen par-fried potato specialties market.

For the first time, Potato Expo 2016, the largest conference and trade show for the potato industry in North America, will host a food truck chef competition highlighting the broad appeal of potatoes and mobile food trucks.

Continuing in its journey toward zero waste, and in recognition of last week’s America Recycles Day, ConAgra Foods announced its annual Zero Waste Champion award winners.

Conagra Foods announces plans to separate into two independent public companies, Conagra Brands ('Diverse portfolio of Leading Brands') and Lamb Weston ('Leading Foodservice Supplier of Frozen Potatoes')

Mcdonald's is testing sweet potato fries in a number of its restaurants in Texas

The US Agency for International Development has awarded Michigan State University (MSU) a $5.8 million cooperative agreement to improve potato production in Bangladesh and Indonesia. Additional partners include the University of Minnesota and J.R. Simplot as well as in-country partners in both Bangladesh and Indonesia.

Pucara, Cardinal y Única son tres nuevas variedades de papas bolivianas que a simple vista parecen tubérculos comunes y corrientes, sin embargo, proyectan ser las más eficientes en el ámbito para el que fueron desarrolladas: la industria alimenticia.

Based on a review of the recently released Trans-Pacific Partnership
(TPP) agreement text, the National Potato Council (NPC) strongly supports the trade deal reached with
Australia, Brunei, Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore
and Vietnam.

Cara Operations Limited completes acquisition of New York Fries, Canada's premium fresh cut french fry chain.

Renaissance Ingredients Inc. shows the results of its in-house, laboratory-scale analysis of the efficacy of its non-GMO acrylamide-reducing baker’s yeast for applications in the potato industry.

ConAgra Foods, Inc. today announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to sell its private label operations to TreeHouse Foods for approximately $2.7 billion

Last Friday, Conagra Foods detailed broad measures, including layoffs, early retirement incentives and cuts to travel and catering, in its bid to save money and boost shareholder return, with the city of Omaha in particular affected.

En el país se siembran 129 mil hectáreas de papa, de las cuales el 75% son producidas por pequeños campesinos.

ConAgra Foods, Inc. today announced restructuring plans to improve profitability, advance its growth agenda and unlock shareholder value. The restructuring includes the elimination of around 1,500 jobs (30% of the company’s global office-based workforce). Conagra Foods also announced the relocation of its headquarters to Chicago.

ConAgra Foods Chief Executive Sean Connolly is addressing shareholders this morning at an annual meeting at the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha.